What Is Dry Eye? Symptoms, Treatment, Causes, and More

Redness, blurred vision, heavy eyelids, an inability to cry, and a sandy or scratchy feeling on the eyes are all symptoms of dry eye.

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You might say that vision is one of the most important, if not the most important sense you have. You use your eyes from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep, so there’s no denying the role that healthy eyes can play in our lives. With that being said, if you live with dry eyes, you know better than anyone how this condition can make simple tasks like working at a computer or driving difficult.

Dry eye is a condition marked by inadequate eye lubrication, either due to tear ducts not producing enough tears, or tears evaporating too quickly. (1)

Tears (a mixture of water, oils, and mucus) are necessary to keep your eyes healthy and your vision clear. A layer of tears covers your eyes each time you blink, which protects your eyes from infections, keeps them moist, and washes away dust and debris. (2)

What Is Chronic Dry Eye?

Just about everyone has experienced a brief feeling of dryness in their eyes at some point. In fact, acute exacerbations are common, with many lifestyle choices and environmental factors — like using your cellphone or being in a low-humidity environment — triggering symptoms, says Whitney Hauser, MD, an optometrist at the TearWell Advanced Dry Eye Treatment Center based in Memphis, Tennessee, and the founder of DryEyeCoach.com.

But while fleeting cases of dry eye might not be bothersome, chronic dry eye or dry eye syndrome is a completely different story.

This progressive condition goes beyond run-of-the-mill dry eyes. So much so that Dr. Hauser describes it as a “chronic inflammatory condition,” where dry eye symptoms are prolonged, frequent, and severe. (1)

Signs and Symptoms of Dry Eye

Dry eye may cause various problems with the eyes. Common dry eye symptoms include: (1,2,3)

Stinging, burning, or itchiness

Pain or redness

Sandy or gritty feeling (as if something is in the eye)

Stringy discharge (mucus)

Periods of watery eyes followed by dry eyes

Inability to cry

Temporary blurred vision or eye fatigue

Sensitivity to light

Heavy eyelids

Difficulty wearing contact lenses

Eye strain from reading or computer use

How Common Is Dry Eye Syndrome?

Dry eye can occur at any age, but it's most common in elderly people, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI). (3)

As a matter of fact, nearly five million Americans ages 50 and older have dry eye, according to statistics reported by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). (4) Interestingly, the condition affects more women than men. (1,4)

More on Conditions Linked to Dry Eye

Tears also have a third component — an inner mucous layer — that is produced by goblet cells and allows the aqueous layer to spread evenly over the surface of the eye. (3) Some research, such as an article published in February 2018 in the journal Review of Cornea and Contact Lenses, has suggested that dry eye after cataract surgery may be associated with low goblet cell densities. (5)

In addition to dry eye syndrome, dry eye is also sometimes known as: (6)

Eye Conditions Besides Dry Eye

What Can You Use for Dry Eyes? Treatment Options to Consider

See a doctor if you have frequent symptoms of dry eye or if your dry eye symptoms worsen. A comprehensive eye examination can diagnose the condition. This involves an external examination of your eyes, eyelids, and cornea. (7)

You doctor will also perform testing to measure your tear flow and the quality of your tears using a special dye for the eyes. (7)

The right dry eye treatment often depends on the cause of your condition.

For mild or occasional dry eye, artificial tears (dry eye drops) can help lubricate the eyes and relieve symptoms. The best part about artificial tears is that you don't need a prescription. (8)

But while artificial tears are sometimes the first line of defense for dry eye, more severe symptoms require a prescription from your doctor.

Or you may need to temporarily use corticosteroid eye drops to reduce inflammation. Antibiotic eye drops can also reduce eyelid inflammation, helping with the secretion of oil into your tears. (3,7)

A tear-stimulating drug (cevimeline or pilocarpine) is another option for improving symptoms of dry eye, or you might have excellent results with eye inserts that release a substance to increase lubrication. (7)

Surgery for Treating Dry Eye

Procedures that close the tear drainage holes in the inner corners of your eyelids — either temporarily (with tiny plugs) or permanently (with surgery) — may also be an option if you have dry eye. (2,7)

Alternative Treatment for Dry Eye

If you prefer a natural approach to healing dry eye syndrome, consider acupuncture. Although more research is needed, some studies have found acupuncture therapy to be an effective remedy for some people. (7,10)

Everything from what you eat to what you wear can affect your eye health. Employ these strategies to help preserve your eyesight!

Home Remedies to Alleviate Symptoms of Dry Eye

Home remedies, along with making a few lifestyle changes, may also alleviate symptoms of dry eye.

If you take a prescription medication for another condition, check with your doctor to see if dry eye is a common side effect of this drug, recommends Arian Fartash, OD, a VSP network optometrist who splits her time between San Francisco and Orange County, California.

Improving dry eye symptoms may require switching to another medication, if possible.

You may also be better off wearing glasses if your contact lenses cause dry eye. (9)

In some people, consuming omega-3 fatty acids from supplements or foods (including fatty fish like salmon and sardines, as well as walnuts and flaxseed) reduces eye irritation, adds Dr. Fartash. (2,9)

She also suggests using a humidifier to put moisture back into dry air, taking short breaks from technology to give your eyes a rest, and laying a warm, damp wash cloth across your eyelids for a couple minutes for relief. (2)

Other tips to prevent or alleviate dry eyes: (1,2,9)

Wear wraparound glasses when outdoors to protect eyes from wind

Blink often

Don’t use a hair dryer

Wash your eyelids with baby shampoo to help release oil into the eyes

Remove makeup daily

If you work on a computer, look away from the screen at least every 20 minutes

More on Caring for Your Eyes

The Best Eye Drops and Contacts for Dry Eyes

If you see an ophthalmologist or optometrist for dry eyes, your doctor can decide the best eye drop based on the underlying cause of dryness. So, you might receive an antibiotic eye drop for eyelid inflammation, or a steroid eye drop for cornea inflammation.

In the case of nonprescription artificial tears, you’ll find a variety of options, including drops with electrolytes. These drops not only keep your eyes moist, but also protect the surface of your eyes. (11)

More Contact Lens Management Tips

There are also eye drops containing preservatives to prevent the growth of bacteria after opening the bottle, as well as nonpreservative eye drops. The latter has fewer additives. This is an option if you’re allergic to certain ingredients in eye drops, or if you apply artificial tears more than four to six times a day. (2,11)

With regard to contact lenses, dry eyes doesn't mean that you're no longer a candidate for contacts. But you’ll need to have a conversation with your doctor about dryness, and then choose a lens that’s comfortable to wear with this condition, such as single-use daily disposable lenses, advises Fartash.

The best contacts for dry eyes also include soft lenses, as well as lenses with a low-water content, such as those made from silicone hydrogel. (12)

Can Dry Eye Syndrome Cause Floaters?

If you have dry eye along with eye floaters, you might question the connection. While it’s not inconceivable to develop both eye conditions simultaneously, “floaters aren’t necessarily related to dry eyes, although both are common, especially as we age,” says Fartash.

“Sometimes loose cells, or fibers clump together within your eye fluid and cast a shadow onto the retina, which we see as floating dark specks or blobs known as eye floaters,” she further notes. (13)

Even though there isn’t a connection between dry eyes and floaters, this doesn’t mean that dryness isn’t without its own set of issues. If left untreated, complications associated with dry eye include eye inflammation and eye infections, especially if the cornea becomes damaged due to dryness. (1,8)

Conditions that can damage the cornea include corneal abrasions and corneal ulcers. Severe cases of dryness can also decrease vision, warns Fartash.

Another possible complication is conjunctivitis (pink eye), or inflammation of the conjunctiva, the mucous membrane that covers the white part of the eyes and inner surfaces of the eyelids. (8)

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Can Dry Eyes Be Cured Permanently?

The short answer is: maybe.

Acute dry eye caused by environmental factors, health problems, or medication may go away or improve once you identify the cause of dryness and make the necessary adjustments — such as treating an underlying health problem or switching medicines. (7)